1
as in democratic
of, relating to, or favoring political democracy
having rid itself of the yoke of colonialism, the new nation chose to be a self-ruling state
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another
was granted special status as a self-ruling province
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Recent Examples of self-ruling
Not only that, but Greenland, a self-ruling territory of Denmark, lacks the infrastructure and manpower required to make this mining dream a reality.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Like Assad before him, Sharaa now faces complex negotiations toward bringing these self-ruling territories under his command.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The dispute began when Takaichi, who was elected last month, told lawmakers that a hypothetical Chinese attack on self-ruling Taiwan, which at its closest point is about 70 miles from Japanese territory, could threaten Japan’s survival and trigger a military response from Tokyo.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 25 Nov. 2025
In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Like Assad before him, Sharaa now faces complex negotiations toward bringing these self-ruling territories under his command.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The dispute began when Takaichi, who was elected last month, told lawmakers that a hypothetical Chinese attack on self-ruling Taiwan, which at its closest point is about 70 miles from Japanese territory, could threaten Japan’s survival and trigger a military response from Tokyo.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 25 Nov. 2025
In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-ruling
Adjective
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Republican confidence in other qualities, like acting ethically in office and respecting the country's democratic values, has declined since last February, according to Pew.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
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But New York State’s special elections shut voters out, replacing democratic choice with a process that looks more like a coronation than a contest.—
Grace Rauh,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The fallout from the files has consumed much of the news media in recent weeks, dominating headlines and coverage at major news institutions as journalists and independent creators dig through the files for embarrassing nuggets of association about high-profile individuals.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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Confirming independent biological signatures.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As a result, organizations need alignment among leadership, an integration strategy, and clear rules for autonomous action.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
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In January 2025, the autonomous aircraft successfully completed ground taxi tests.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The fund is anchored by sovereign investors in the Gulf.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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Sentiment had already begun to recover after regulators on Thursday outlined reform measures, including doubling minimum free float—the number of shares available for public trading—to 15% starting next month and possible market involvement by sovereign wealth fund Danantara.—
Prima Wirayani,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This one even has two separate teasers.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Parallel giant slalom requires speed and precision as riders race side-by-side downhill, slaloming around the gates on two separate quasi-identical courses.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-ruling. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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